


and here we stand, against all odds

by tradrishanally



Series: Civility? In this war? [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Statetalia
Genre: Caroline and Alyssa are smart., Confederacy is a manipulative bitch., F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Naive Venus and Jamie, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 08:57:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18091346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tradrishanally/pseuds/tradrishanally
Summary: [REWRITE]And here we stand, against all odds, together.





	and here we stand, against all odds

**Author's Note:**

> Prevented the use of slurs with the use of the word 'fucker'.

Dixie notices the child outside, and panics because human contact was supposed to be extremely limited. Jamie and Isaac notice about 10 minutes later, calling for Venus immediately. 

It’s a terrible feeling to see her on the steps: doubt, anxiety, and worry swirl together as the child looks up to them with knowing eyes and holds out her hand. “Confederate States of America. Pippa Simon.” She barely meets Venus’s height- which is, quite frankly,  _ tiny _ . They all exchange a look of  _ Holy shit. We are screwed- there’s a personification. We fucked up _ .

She shakes Jamie’s and Venus’s hands, but retracts before she shakes Dixie’s and Isaac’s. It’s a small thing, hardly noticeable to Jamie and Venus. 

“Whoo- this is a nice place, cozy,” Pippa exclaims, escorting herself in. The four recognise that she is technically their, but they’re so hesitant that they can hardly be assertive with her.

“We never said you could come inside, sweetie,” Dixie speaks up, kneeling down to Pippa’s level. 

Pippa ignores her.

-=-=-=-

Pippa grows up too fast for them to even think about basic accommodations for her. Charlotte, Bernadette, and Xavier took up 3 of the last 7 rooms, Venus was offering up her dresses since she almost never wore them anyway, and the increasing frustration between Isaac and Dixie with the lack of attention kept the house alive and busy.

Venus gives up her room, the second largest by the sheer fact of  _ Jamie-still-loves-you _ , as an act of generosity and takes up one of the 3 smallest rooms. Pippa is more than gracious, even offering help with moving her stuff to the smaller room.

Venus is hanging up her rapiers on her wall , over her bed, when knocks resound. “Come in,” she calls out as loudly as she can. Pippa walks in and marvels at the simplicity and elegance, but gives a confused look.

“Why aren’t the help helping you out?” 

“The help? Do you mean Isaac and Dixie?” Venus stops fiddling with the twin swords to look back at the girl.

“You refer to them by name?” Pippa looks out into the house to make sure that nobody is passing.

“Yes, we do. We normally aren’t formal with each other. It’s an insult to call anyone by their state names when normally informal.”

“They’re states?” Pippa’s eyes go wide.

“Mississippi and Alabama.”

-=-=-=-

Jamie leaves for a purpose and the house feels so much emptier without him. 

The ‘loss’ of Jamie prompts Pippa to ask more about everyone and for necessities. It starts with her watching Charlotte and Dixie cook and having them show her the recipes and such. She asks about every recipe and ingredient, about how it’s served, and she does it all with a charming smile.

The questions are innocent enough, asking about the days and the rest of the states (She stops asking when some become touchy subjects).

It’s an easy loll into comfort.

-=-=-=-

“Why doesn’t Miss Venus wear dresses all the time? She has plenty.” 

“She doesn’t like dresses that much, she believes that there’s more freedom within a pant leg than in a petticoat.” Charlotte hangs the skirts out to dry after wringing them out to the point where they’re not dripping.

-=-=-=-

Bridgette, Caroline, and Alyssa soon end up in the house and everything seems fine. It helps that Pippa is now older than the most of them, not Venus or Jamie old but  _ mature _ .

The real problems come when Taylor shows up and breaks down.

-=-=-=-

“Hey. Calm down. You’re gonna be fine. You’re fine.” Alyssa’s voices gets progressively softer as Taylor’s sobs slow.

“We’re all here. We’re all fine. You have nothin’ to worry about,” Venus smiles.

Pippa watches from the hallway in almost absolute disgust. 

_ Why are they comforting a damn slave _ ?

-=-=-=-

It’s Pippa’s suggestion for them to not fight. It’s also her suggestion to dress up nice and go to church for Christmas.

Xavier and Jamie catch the halt in Venus’s movements when Pippa suggests it. The fact that she almost drops her plate when she’s going to rinse it off gets everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong, sugar?” Pippa asks, genuinely concerned.

“I-” Venus shifts her head around trying to word it shorthandedly- “don’t go to church.”

Common knowledge for those who’ve witnesses her uneasiness around the bible at the worst. Pippa cocks her eyebrow. 

“Why? Don’t you believe in the word of the lord?”

“Well, my best church experience was being yelled at for a solid 3 hours for messing up a verse that they told me to memorise 10 minutes ago. Most of the time it was much worse,” Venus winces at her break. Her hand ghosts over a spot on her hip.

“Oh- I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was a touchy subject,” Pippa is frantic. 

“You’re fine.” 

“You don’t have to come, sugar. It would be nice though.” 

Venus nods.

-=-=-=-

“Last time I remember you tellin’ us about your whole church aversion there was no ‘abuse’ involved.”

“I needed an excuse because ‘ _ I just don’t like church or religion _ ’ probably wouldn’t go down well.” Venus glares at Jamie for a whole minute before he sighs and leaves.

-=-=-=-

She doesn’t let them leave to fight, but that doesn’t stop them from trying.

Bernadette sneaks out with Caroline to follow their soldiers. They’re gone for a whole 8 days. 

There’s practically a hole in the floor from Pippa’s constant pacing. 

-=-=-=-

“Oh- thank God you’re both okay! Don’t scare me like that.” Pippa hugs both of them tightly.

The girls hug back and something about her tone and genuine worry makes them promise to not leave to fight again.

Bernadette looks over to Taylor, already fidgety from the feeling of foreign boots on his land. “They’re heading for Shiloh.”

He only nods.

-=-=-=-

Jamie and Venus leave with Taylor, and Pippa keeps mentioning about how she hopes they’ll be fine. 

When she screams and clutches her wrist the entire house knows they aren’t.

-=-=-=-

“Lynne shot him. Kelsey got the bullet out-” Venus’s face is devoid of emotion and her tone is so flat and even that a few can already tell what ended up happening. 

It’ll be a couple hours before the guilt sets in. 

-=-=-=-

“I thought you cut your hair before you left.” Alyssa pulls the long braid up by the ribbon securing it.

Venus shrugs.

“Do you want to cut it?” Pippa asks, her eyes darting to Isaac and Dixie, almost waiting for them to recognise a passive order.

“I mean, it’d be nice. Not really my top priority.” 

-=-

Pippa pulls out the braid gently and separates the sections to not pull any hair before she starts brushing.

“How long do you want it, sugar?”

“Above my shoulders. Normally I have it cut to about an inch under my jaw,” Venus sets her fingers at the exact length for reference.

“Alright.” Pippa pours some water over the general length around where Venus wants so it’ll cut easier.

The first  _ snip _ of the scissors is almost comforting

-=-=-=-

Caroline begins to piece Pippa together first. She obviously has her favourites, Jamie, herself, Venus, and Alyssa. She hardly even acknowledges Isaac, Dixie, and Taylor.

Her suspicions are confirmed when she hears Pippa muttering about  _ those damn slaves not knowing how to do work _ while Alyssa hangs up the laundry and Bernadette does the dishes.

-=-=-=-

“Jamie- you have to believe me. She called them  _ slaves _ .” Caroline was practically pulling her hair out.

“Pippa wouldn’t do that, she cares about all of us,” Jamie retorts.

Caroline doesn’t want to fight, so she storms out and to her room.

-=-=-=-

“Miss Venus Lora Clara Juno Varequiez-Jones?” The man at the door asks Bernadette.

“Excuse me for a second, sir. I’ll have to go get her. Come in, make yourself at home,” Bernadette gestures to the sitting area before heading upstairs. 

Venus comes down after a minute, her skirt swishing around her ankles. Her eyes widen and she curtsies, “Lieutenant.”

“Commander.” The man bows, hand over heart. “This is regarding your service for your country.”

-=-

“I have to go or I risk my rank.” Venus pulls on her uniform with care.

“You don’t have to, sugar. I worry too much about you lot. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt in service,” Pippa holds Venus’s wrist tenderly.

“Ma’am, I’ll assure you that if she does get hurt that we’ll have experienced ranks escort her home. If she is injured fatally or towards disablement, she will be relieved from service immediately.”

“I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing.” Venus smiles.

Pippa hugs Venus rather dramatically and mutters “Stay safe.”

-=-=-=-

Everyone but Pippa, Isaac, Dixie, and Taylor is out and about.

“Okay, y’all better listen.” Pippa smiles sweetly. Too sweetly.

They give her their full attention, and she glares them down.

“I don’t know what they’ve told you about you you damn fuckers are supposed to act and what you can and can’t do, but they are too goddamn lenient with you. You fuckers can’t act like you’re part of our league.” She looks at the horror and confusion in their eyes. 

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re states, y’all don’t fucking deserve the title. If you don’t want to get hurt- I suggest y’all listen when you’re spoken to and act upon orders. Do you understand?” The glare is enough to scare them into being polite.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“None of them will never know about this. If they do, you’re getting it. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pippa walks out and they all go quiet.

“What … the … fuck?” Isaac asks.

-=-=-=-

Everyone but Alyssa comes home with relatively minor wounds, and just like that, everything is back to normal.

-=-=-=-

“What do you mean it’s been 5 months since January? It’s March.” Bridgette is a confused wreck when she comes out of her room for the first time in 5 months.

“Bridgette, sweetheart, you haven’t come out of your room in 5 months. It’s June.” Pippa steady’s Bridgette with gentle hands on her shoulders.

Taylor comes back in with the mail. “Bridgette, there’s a letter for you.”

The air is heavy as she opens the carefully sealed envelope. They don’t know what it says, but she breaks down in tears.

-=-=-=-

Caroline watches Pippa burn a letter with a candle in the early morning, but she keeps her mouth shut and goes back to sleep.

-=-=-=-

Alyssa and Caroline stay up late doing chores when the screaming starts and they know better than to not check it out. 

Dixie and Taylor are bleeding on the floor with Isaac splayed in front of them protectively. 

“You fuckers never learned, did you? Hopefully, this’ll have it sink in.”

The girls leave the scene before the perpetrator comes out.

The guilt sinks in their stomachs.

-=-=-=-

They’re all up early when Caroline brings it up. “Tay? Dixie? What happened?” She presses gentle fingers to the bandages. 

“Battles probably. We woke up with ‘em,” Dixie’s voice falters, but Caroline can understand that they’re definitely in pain.

“I think you should rest today, let ‘em heal.” Alyssa mutters, the concern on her face evident. 

The two nod.

-=-

Pippa decides to go out for the day. 

“She’s fucking evil. Those damn injuries they got from from a whip,” Caroline yells.

“Carrie- you don’t know that. Pippa wouldn’t hurt any of us, you’ve seen her being worried about us all,” Venus argues. Jamie and Bridgette nod along with Venus’s argument.

“We watched it, had to leave before she saw us.” Alyssa’s voice is small.

“What time was it?” Xavier asks.

“Around 11. We were finishing up the chores,” Caroline rubs her hand over her face. 

“You could have hallucinated it,” Venus retorts.

“I damn well think they didn’t.” Charlotte comes in with some biscuits leftover from supper.

“I know what I saw.” Alyssa growls before heading to her room.

-=-=-=-

Venus had left early for another battle, but they weren’t expecting her back so soon.

She pulls herself off her horse and winces as she hits the ground.  Jamie and Bernadette are out within seconds and bolt over when they see the bandages encircling her thigh over her pants. 

“Don’t you even think about walking on the leg of yours. I deal with Dubloon. Jamie, help her in.” Bernadette grabs hold of the reins and pulls the mare into the stable.

There’s a second that last way too long before Venus speaks, “Jamie you are not picking me up.”

He picks her up anyways.

-=-

Pippa throws a fit as Taylor tries to the best of his ability to pull out all 5 bullets from Venus’s leg.

“This is why I didn’t want you going off to fight, sugar,” Pippa holds her awkwardly because of the clashing of activities.

Venus grits her teeth and mutters, “I’ve had worse. Trust me.”

Taylor’s just cleaning up when she speaks again.

“There should be a letter in the next few weeks about whether or not I’m relieved from service. If I am it would be honorable.”

-=-=-=-

Venus can hardly move and Jamie insists that she stays within his sight. 

-=-=-=-

She’s relieved from service. Everyone notices the looks of pity from Jamie.

-=-=-=-

It’s probably too late for both of them to be awake, but Venus is in shock and he almost can’t hear her when she speaks.

“Please?”

“Hm?” Jamie looks up at her, sitting up. Under her eyes is puffy and her cheeks are still damp and shiny.  _ No matter what she still looks beautiful. _

“ _ Please _ ?” she asks again. The tone gives it away.

He can’t say no to her.

-=-=-=-

There’s a ginger knock on the door, and Alyssa’s eyes widen when she sees Kansas. “What’re you doing here?”

“I need to see Miss Simon.” Harper switches from the normal volume to a whisper. “Just go along with it. We got the letter about Dixie and Taylor.”

“Oh. I’ll get her for you.” Alyssa smiles before running to an adjacent room.

Pippa comes out and her smile strains when she sees Harper. “Yes?”

“Hello, Miss Simon. I apologise for being here at this moment. I’m here on behalf of my  _ master _ , Alfred Jones, who wishes to meet you.” Harper holds out her hand.

Dixie, Isaac, and Taylor wince when Harper says ‘master.’ Pippa looks almost amused.

“Finally. One with manners,” She shakes Harper’s hand and looks back at them. “I won’t be long.”

Harper focuses on a single spot on Pippa’s face. “Ma’am, I think you have a lipstick smear. I can fix it for you.” She pulls out a small rag from a pocket.

“Oh. Fix it then.” 

Harper gently dabs and wipes away the non-existent stain. At the last possible second, she grabs Pippa’s jaw and shoves it back as hard as she can. The crack and snap that resounded seemed to delight her. 

“ _ That’s for hurting my family, bitch. _ ”

-=-

Caroline, Alyssa, and Charlotte find the situation amusing. The rest are either horrified or awestruck.

Taylor sets Pippa’s jaw in place while she sobs in pain.

-=-=-=-

“ _ Which one of you fuckers snitched _ ?”

-=-=-=-

Venus is still confined to Jamie room, since her leg still isn’t better, so she’s the witness when Taylor comes in, worried.

“Can I stay in here for tonight?” He’s frantic.

“You’d have to ask Jamie. I can’t give you a definite answer.”

The knob clicks.  _ Speak of the devil _ .

“Jamie, can I say in here for tonight? I honestly don’t feel safe in the rest of the house,” Taylor asks.

Jamie shrugs. “Sure.”

The hug surprises him. 

“Thank you.”

-=-=-=-

They begin to wonder how long the war is going to be. They can tell that their side is losing but it’s not stopping. The battle-related injuries don’t stop.

The only three who haven’t started to piece Pippa together are Jamie, Bridgette, and Venus. At least birds of a feather flock together.

-=-=-=-

“Jamie. Please listen to me.” Caroline is sobbing after an hour of arguing. 

“You’re going insane. Pippa would never do that.” Jamie is yelling. 

“BUT SHE HAS! CAN’T YOU SEE ALL THE DAMAGE SHE’S DOING TO US?”

“CAROLINE WREN JONES-” Jamie’s shaking.

-=-=-=-

Everyone comes and goes and comes back at different times and leaves again. Bernadette has been to the general store for medical supplies too much for her own comfort. 

When she comes back, it’s a routine: Clean off and patch up Venus’s leg, hope that it’ll finally close up soon. It’s been damn near a year, and bullet wounds for the rest of them heal in days.

She knows Venus hides so much of her life and injuries, but it shouldn’t take that long.

-=-=-=-

“Vee? It’s been so long. Why hasn’t your leg healed?” Alyssa watches as Jamie helps her balance enough on it for her to stand and take a shaky step.

“My other leg has been healing for nearly 250 years,” Venus grits her teeth at the burn and sting from putting most of her weight on the leg with the bullet wounds.

Alyssa’s eyes gloss over the deformed blob that just barely resembles a leg. 

-=-=-=-

It’s the 3rd day that Venus has been able to come down for breakfast and hobble around. (It’s rather hilarious to watch Jamie carry her down the stairs, though. She keeps an annoyed face until she gets set down.) She keeps insisting that she stay in her own room, on the ground floor, but Jamie keeps insisting that she stay within the sight of everyone.

Everything is normal.

Then, it isn’t.

Dixie and Isaac are near tears when they come down. “Ettie, where’s the first aid kit?” Dixie musters the ability to speak after a minute. 

Bernadette hands over the kit.

Everyone’s in horrified silence at the bloody burns and whiplike scars covering their backs. 

“Their backs say  _ Simon _ ,” Alyssa mutters. “ _ She branded them. _ ”

They hear the clacking of heels and they try to resume normalcy. 

-=-

“Venus, sugar. Is your leg finally almost better?” Pippa smiles seeing Venus at the table.

“I can hobble; the wounds still open if I move constantly, though.” Venus smiles back and it looks so genuine.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. You’re not confined to a room anymore!” The entire room is confused at how genuinely excited Pippa is.

Xavier tries to get the topic changed. “Vee, didn’t you say that you wanted your hair cut again? You mentioned it earlier.”

Venus looks grateful that the subject changed. “It’s longer than when Pippa cut it last time. It is getting annoying.”

“I can cut it later, sugar,” Pippa offers.

“That would be nice. Thank you,” Venus wishes she hadn’t replied.

-=-=-=-

“Same length as last time?” Pippa asks, pouring the water on the general area that she’ll be cutting.

“Yes. I rather liked having my hair that short again. Everyone said it was cute,” the tone wouldn’t give away how terrified Venus is.

The  _ snip _ of the scissors almost makes her jump.

-=-=-=-

“Alyssa, there’s a letter for you!” Pippa smiles, waving the wax-sealed envelope.

Alyssa comes and gets it, smiling. “Thank you.”

-=-=-=-

Charlotte wakes up screaming and almost everyone is by her side within a minute. “ _ Atlanta _ ” is the only thing she says before she passes out and the burn forms.

-=-

Taylor tends to Charlotte quietly when Alyssa preses a gentle hand to his shoulder, right over the brand.

“Is it healing at all?”

“Barely.” He moves his shoulder out from under her fingers.

“Do you want me to tell Kelsey?”

“Please.”

-=-=-=-

Charlotte wakes up screaming again and this time it’s not her heart, it’s her entire torso.

-=-=-=-

Pippa sees the letter addressed to one of her dipshit fuckers, and opens it to make sure they didn’t snitch again.

She burns it and sets off.

-=-=-=-

“Alyssa. Come with me- one of my dresses was sized wrong. It doesn’t fit Bernadette. It might fit you.” Pippa smiles and holds up a dress that did fit the bill.

Alyssa follows her.

-=-

“ _ Sweetie _ . Let me tell you something you should learn.  _ Snitches get what they deserve _ .”

-=-=-=-

Taylor finds her the next morning.

He screams.

-=-=-=-

Bridgette and Bernadette are livid as they wash the blood and grime off of Alyssa as she seethes and sobs.

“I told Kelsey and she found out,” Alyssa manages to say. 

They exchange a look of pure disgust.

-=-=-=-

Bernadette is in DC within the next few days, and she can understand the wary looks she’s getting.

Alfred answers the door. “You-”

“I don’t care if I’m not welcome. This is an emergency. I need Elliot and Kelsey.” Bernadette’s tone leaves no room for dismissal or rejection.

They’re out within 5 minutes.

“It’s about Alyssa.”

-=-

“She’s gonna fucking pay for this,” Elliot growls.

“She’s gonna come after you, maybe the next large battle. Be wary,” Bernadette hoists herself into the saddle and sets off.

-=-=-=-

Bernadette and Caroline follow Pippa onto the battlegrounds, making sure they can prevent an outrage.

They don’t see Elliot coming until he’s already swung at her.

-=-

It’s promising as he has Pippa pinned. 

“ _ This is for my sister _ .” the words come out so much more evil than they know Elliot is.

Pippa kicks him off and goes straight for his throat.

They last sound they hear from him is a scream.

-=-

Kelsey shoots at her and she runs off.

-=-=-=-

No one feels safe anymore. The feeling of uncertainty and worry seeps under their skin and constantly itches them.

It feels wrong.

-=-=-=-

Charlotte is finally coherent and able to sit up.

“They’re burning and destroying everything.”

-=-=-=-

The stress gets to most of them, and Jamie keeps hearing “ _ Please _ ” in the same tone Venus has used too many times. He should really learn how to say “No” to them.

-=-=-=-

Caroline goes rigid and Charlotte knows what is happening.

They’re forcing them to surrender.

-=-=-=-

Bridgette leaves for a battle and doesn’t come back. 

They all decide the same.

-=-=-=-

They feel unwelcome back in the DC house, but at least they feel safe.

(It physically hurt to watch Alyssa collapse onto Elliot and take 2 seconds to see the bandages covering his throat.)

-=-=-=-

“Can we go to Palmito Ranch so we can end her?” Alyssa asks.

It’s the fourth time they’ve asked.

“Fine.”

-=-=-=-

They get there in time to hand off a blue uniform to Xavier.

-=-

Pippa looks amused to see them all. “The brats have returned.”

They all raise their guns when the white flag raises.

“Well. When the government bring you traitors in to discuss your statehood, I suggest y’all dress nice. They see you as scum of the earth. Prove them wrong.” She smiles grimly.

The shot resounds and rings through their ears the whole way home.

-=-

And here they stand, against all odds, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Much better.
> 
> Anonymous comments disabled to prevent anonymous hellraising


End file.
